UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP) – Authorities in suburban St. Louis’ University City are probing as suspicious the cause of a weekend house fire that killed a man despite efforts by at least one neighbor to save him.

Carnell Brown tells KSDK that after seeing the blaze at his neighbor’s home about 5 a.m. Sunday, he ran to the house at tried to go in to help the friend. But heat and smoke ultimately deterred him.

The victim’s name has not been released.

University City’s fire chief says a puppy also died in the fire.

Police said without elaborating that the man’s death is being investigated as suspicious.

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